Apple loses patent case against Samsung in UK courts

UPDATE

The UK court believes the Galaxy Tab "is not as cool" as the iPad, which seems to be one of the main reasons the court's ruled that it is not copying Apple's tablet.

According to the hearing: "The informed user's overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following.

"From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back.

"They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool. The overall impression produced is different."

ORIGINAL

British courts have ruled that there are 'recognisable differences' between Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablets and the Apple iPad.

The upshot is that Samsung's Galaxy Tab line up, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 will remain on sale in the UK and there's not much Apple can do about it.

Apple accused Samsung of infringing its iPad design in the three differently-sized Galaxy slates, as it has in several countries around the world, but these claims were dismissed by the High Court this morning.

Pulling no punches

In a scathingly-worded statement, Samsung said, "The court found numerous Apple design features to lack originality, and numerous identical design features to have been visible in a wide range of earlier tablet designs from before 2004.

"Equally important, the court also found distinct differences between the Samsung and Apple tablet designs, which the court claimed were apparent to the naked eye."

These included differences in the front and sides of the tablets, but most notably there were 'vivid differences' described on the rear surface design. It's all incredibly thrilling stuff.

Ending its statement on a zinger, Samsung added "Samsung believes Apple's excessive legal claims based on such a generic design right can harm not only the industry's innovation as a whole, but also unduly limit consumer choice."

No doubt this will not deter Apple from pursuing other IP claims around the world – it seems to be finding more favour with US courts than in the UK, where it recently lost a patent case against HTC as well.

Via Pocket-lint